After the Curse Was Broken
by dark-angel Luna13
Summary: It has been two month after the curse was broken. The wedding of Loveday and Sir Benjamin is coming. Will Robin finally admit his feelings for Maria? Will the arrival of an old friend make Maria want to go back to London? Will Maria realize she likes Robin? I love the movia and Robin and Maria as a couple!
1. Chapter 1

_~I saw the "Secret of Moonacre" movie yesterday and I felt like I had to write a story about Maria and Robin. I LOVE Robin and I so badly wanted to see Maria and Robin become a couple after the scene with the rabbit in the forest after Maria leaves her uncle. I was very disappointed at the end even if it was a brilliant movie. I hope you like it! ~_

Robin knocked the door of his sister's current room with his fist.

«Come in! It's open» Loveday's smooth voice was heard from the other side. Robin pushed the door open and went in the room.

A small smile appeared on his lips when he saw his sister. Loveday was sparkling with happiness. She was looking herself in the mirror wearing her wedding dress.

«Hi sis. Is that the fifth or the sixth time you were this dress in a week? How long will it take you to realize it? » he said chuckling a little.

«Dear little brother it is the ninth time and I can't realize that in one week I am actually getting married! » Loveday answered sarcastically but with a big smile on her face.

It has been two months since the curse was broken by Maria. Loveday and Sir Benjamin were getting married, this time with both families agreeing to it. Robin's father had a change of heart after that night at the ruins. He was more than willing to make peace with the Merryweathers and the rest of the De Noir had agreed after some time. Some of them actually came to like Maria Merryweather, the Moon Princess.

At the thought of Maria he smiled a little. That girl could be as dangerous and devilish as the Merryweather's large black dog, Wrolf, which had maintained his lion form and was now wandering somewhere in the forest. His eyes looked at his left hand, where she had wounded him with a needle. Now there was nothing but a thin line to remind him of when he hated the Merryweathers.

His gaze and smile didn't go unnoticed by his sister. Her eyes lighten up when she realized her little brother must have been thinking of Maria. She smirked.

«Did you know that Maria is going to visit us today? » she asked trying to sound as innocent as possible.

«What? » she managed to not laugh with Robin's reaction. His eyes had widened and were looking at her shocked.

«Maria is coming here because she wants me to help her with her dress for the wedding. » she said looking directly at her brother instead of watching him over the mirror.

«Why can't you go to the Moonacre Manor? Why she has to come here? » he said trying to not sound anxious. He had put an effort in avoiding Maria for the last Two months. He didn't like the way he was feeling when she was around. And now she was coming to their castle.

«She said she wanted to visit Wrolf and decided to kill two birds with one stone. After she visits the lion in the evening she will come here. » Loveday explained. Robin sighed.

«Ok. I must leave now, sis. Dad said he wanted to discuss something with me. » Robin excused himself and turned to leave.

« I will call for you when Maria comes. I know you are excited to see her. » Loveday couldn't help but tease her little brother. Robin didn't turn to look at her because he didn't want her to see his face which had taken a bright red color. He walked out of the room trying hard to find an excuse to leave the castle before Maria's arrival.


	2. Chapter 2

Maria looked the castle in front of her. She still wasn't used to the idea of being welcomed at the de Noir's castle. Flashes of her being in the dungeon came to her mind. She looked back and could feel the presence of a big, black lion in the shadows of the forest. Wrolf's presence filled her with courage and she walked toward the castle.

Many de Noir waved at her as she passed by. She smiled in return and nodded at them. Of course there were the ones who still thought she was a little witch, but they were behaving nice because of Coeur de Noir's orders.

Her smile became larger when she saw Loveday waiting for her at the entrance of the huge castle. Her soon-to-be aunt had become her best friend and she was always happy when Loveday would come for a visit to the manor.

«Hello dear. I missed you! » Loveday said and hugged her tightly even if it has been only two days since they last seen each other.

«I missed you too, Loveday! » Maria replied. She quickly looked around searching for Robin. She hoped he would come to greet her because they hadn't seen each other much after the curse was broken.

Loveday noticed her looking around and smiled exactly the same way she had earlier with Robin.

«Is something wrong dear? » she asked the young girl.

«No! Everything is fine. Let's go, shall we? » Maria answered and followed Loveday inside the castle.

Loveday and Maria walked past the halls and finally arrived at Loveday's room. They went inside without noticing someone watching them from the shadows.

_~After a while! ~_

«Robin, the Moon Princess is here. She is with your sister at her room now. » said the boy, who was watching Loveday and Maria, standing outside Robin's room.

«Thanks John. I owe you one. » replied Robin. He listened to John's footsteps as he walked away. When the sound had become a quiet whisper he let out a deep breath.

He was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. He had decided to stay in his room until Maria was gone. He covered his eyes with his hat and he closed them, determined to sleep the whole evening.

After one hour of trying to sleep but not achieving it, he finally admitted he wouldn't find peace if he stayed any longer in his room. He stood up and started walking in circles trying to figure out what to do. His eyes fell to the window which had view to the forest. He wanted so much to go out. He always felt carefree and confident when he was in the wood. After thinking he decided it worth the risk. He grabbed his coat and walked out of his room.

After running down the hall, he stopped a little before his sister room. Moving as quietly as a mouse he walked past the room's door. He reached the corner of the hall and sighed relieved he had managed not to be noticed.

Right then the door slammed open and Loveday appeared at the opening. She looked at him and a wide smile appeared on her face. The boy gulped and his eyes widened in shock. _Guess I talked to early…._

«Robin! I'm so glad you are here! I was hoping you could help me. Come. » his sister said and motioned him over her side. Robin didn't move an inch. Loveday rolled her eyes at him and grabbed his hand forcing him inside the room.

On his sister's bed laid Maria, sleeping peacefully.

«Benjamin told me she doesn't sleep well lately. She is having nightmares but she won't talk to anyone about them. I left for just a few seconds and when I came back I found her sleeping. I would let her stay here but Benjamin wants her to go back to the manor before it gets dark. It wouldn't be nice to wake her up as she looks so tired. Could you please take her to the manor? » Loveday explained whispering to Robin as so not to wake up Maria.

«Forget it, sis! I'm not going to carry her all the way back to her house. » Robin protested and was ready to leave.

Loveday knew only one thing could convince him. She looked at him with big puppy eyes which were begging for his help. Robin understood what she was doing. When they were young Loveday would do the same exact thing to gain whatever she wanted from him. Her eyes, which were identical to their mother's who died giving birth to Robin, were his weakness.

«Ok, ok fine! I will do it! Just stop doing that! » he surrendered not being able to deny her.

Loveday's smile reached her ears. She hugged her brother tightly and gave him a peek on the cheek. Robin just rolled his eyes and hugged her back. _Everyone has their weaknesses. It is just bad luck mine is Loveday_…. He thought.


	3. Chapter 3

«Hey Robin, where are you taking the sleeping princess? »

Robin turned to look at Michael. The black haired boy in front of him looked back at him mockingly. Michael was always rivaling Robin since they were young. He wouldn't miss a chance to laugh at him.

«So Robin even your girlfriend get bored because of you and fell asleep? » they boy continued making fun of him.

«She is not my girlfriend, you idiot. Just mind your own business Michael. I don't have time to deal with you now. » Robin answered dryly to the boy and started walking away still carrying a sleeping Maria in his arms.

«The rumors are true. You really have become soft. A few months ago by now you would have hit me. Guess that witch you are protecting brought out the worst of you. » Michael continued.

Robin was losing his patience. He put Maria gently to the ground. He approached Michael calmly and stood in front of him with his brown eyes full of rage. The next thing Michael knew was that his nose was bleeding and he was knocked down to the ground.

«I must correct you. Maria has brought out the best of me. » Robin said coldly taking Maria, who was still sleeping, in his arms and walking away smirking when he heard the mocking of the de Noirs, who happened to be the audience of his little show with Michael.

_~At the forest~_

The huge trees surrounding him made him feel calm and happy. He belonged at the forest. The fallen leaves didn't make a sound under his feet as he walked quietly through the trees.

He caught a movement at his right. He turned and saw a black scary beast with red eyes whose color could be the same as the fires of hell.

«Hello Wrolf. » he said gridding the once demon dog which now was a black rare lion. The beast bowed his head slowly greeting him back.

The lion showed him respect after he helped Maria save the valley. So when the animal approached him he didn't back down. The lion looked at Maria and then turned his eyes to his back. After a few times of repeating those moves Robin realized what the beast was trying to say.

He put Maria on Wrolf's back. The girl moved a little and Robin thought he woke her up but he sighed in relief when she didn't open her eyes.

Boy and the beast walked alongside between the trees. Robin's mind started drifting away again. He thought of the sleeping girl beside him. He knew he couldn't avoid her forever.

_What if she doesn't like me? I tried to capture her, my father locked her in the dungeons and I tried to kill her for God's sake! Why would she want to have anything to do with me after all these things? Ok I helped her in the end but that doesn't erase all the bad things. Even if I keep avoiding her, in one week I will meet her at my sister's wedding._

His train of thoughts suddenly stopped when he saw the black lion beside him stop. He turned and saw Maria trembling. Her face had gone pale and was a mask of horror and fear. Robin immediately reached her side. She was muttering something but he couldn't hear her so he leaned closer.

«No. No. No! Please help. Robin? Where are you? Please help me. » Maria cried still sleeping. He stood there not knowing what to do. He tried to wake her up but without success.

His eyes widened in shock as he saw tears' falling from Maria's closed eyes.

«Calm down, princess. I'm right here. I won't go anywhere, I promise. » he whispered at her taking her trembling hand inside his. At first nothing happened. But after a while Maria's trembling stopped. He felt his heartbeat calm down as the unnatural paleness on her face wore off to give its place to the light white color of her skin. A smile appeared on her pink lips making Robin smile too.

_That idiot…. She really got me worried. When will she learn to not make me worry about her? She will be the death of me someday….._

When they reached the Merryweather Manor he took Maria in his arms. Robin watched Wrolf disappearing in the shadows of the forest. Then he turned to the house.

When he reached the front door, which was unlocked, he slipped inside wanting to get in and out of the building unnoticed. Unfortunately his wish wasn't granted because when he stepped foot inside the manor he came face to face with Sir Benjamin.

The older man looked first at him and then Maria who was still sleeping. Robin gulped nervously. He knew the future husband of his sister was protective with Maria. He was over-protective, to be precise. And also he wasn't quite fond of Robin. Back when the de Noir and the Merryweather were enemies, the boy had caused trouble at Sir Benjamin many times.

«Loveday made you come here, right? » Benjamin asked taking Robin by surprise. The boy was ready for him to take Maria from him and force him to leave. He nodded slowly.

«That woman can make everyone do as she pleases if she wants. And it is already dark outside. If you want you could spent the night here. I wouldn't want to have the responsibility of you getting hurt. » Benjamin suggested. Now Robin was sure something was off. The older man was acting weird.

«Something is going on, right? You are worried about something. » he said.

Benjamin looked at him frozen for a while. When he finally came back to his senses he motioned him to leave Maria to the sofa and then to follow him. Robin walked inside the manor looking curiously around. They went inside a room which Robin guessed was Benjamin's office.

«I am worried about Maria. Loveday had probably told about Maria's nightmares. » the man said sitting in a brown chair behind a dark brown desk. Robin nodded.

«The main problem is not the nightmares. The thing I am worried about is that Maria doesn't want to talk to anyone about them. Not even to Miss Heliotrope or Loveday. She seems to be terrified by them but she won't let us help her. » Benjamin's face was full of worry.

«What do you want me to do about it? » Robin asked. Even if he knew he should tell him about what had happened earlier in the forest, Robin decided not to.

«I hate to admit that but you had formed a special connection with my niece. So I want you to try and help her. » Benjamin said looking at him almost begging for his help.

_I think I won't be able to avoid talking to Maria until the wedding….._ Robin sighed defeated.

«Ok I will see what I can do. Now if you excuse me I need to head back. Have a nice night. » he said before he would regret his choice and stormed out of the room. In seconds he was in the forest heading back home.

**Finally I was able to update. Sorry for the long wait! I want to thank a new friend of mine, nighteyes99, for her support. Thanks also to all the other people who are reading this. Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Maria's P.O.V.**

I walk up feeling my body as heavy as always. Looking outside the window, I realized the sun hadn't risen yet. I let out a long breath. Sitting up, I tried recalling the nightmare that has woke me up. Images of me lost in the forest came into my mind. Someone was following me. Then I was magically transferred at the ruins where the curse was broken. A woman appeared before me. I recognized her as the first Moon Princess. She looked a lot like Loveday.

«Be careful. Even if the curse is now broken, danger still exists. » she told me before she disappeared. I was left alone. Suddenly a dark shadow appeared. It came running toward me and I felt fear take over me. I shouted something. Then I woke up.

I shivered. Knowing I wouldn't fall back to sleep easily, I got up from my bed. After walking around my room I settled beside the window. I looked outside hoping I would see again the white unicorn. I sighed when I didn't see anything expect the dark forest. My gaze went up at the sky. The last two months I had spent hour at my uncle's library. Last week I had discovered an old book about constellations. By now I had memorized many of them and could identify them.

With stargazing my mind travelled. I thought about my uncle's wedding with Loveday. I was so happy about them. They deserved a happy end after all the things their love went through. I envied them. Having someone who loves you is truly amazing. It is weird. After my mother's death and before I came to Moonacre, I didn't think much about love. As a child, seeing my parents in love made me want to meet a prince like those of the fairytales. But after my mother died and my father started drinking, those thoughts just faded away.

Of course uncle and Loveday aren't actually like the couples in fairytales. They fight sometimes. I laughed quietly remembering my uncle mumbling he will never understand women. No, they weren't like the fairytale couples but their love for each other is true and strong.

I shoved those thoughts away. Why am I thinking about love in the middle of the night? This is a first. I turned my focus back to the midnight sky. The stars looked like diamond on the dark blue fabric called sky. The moon shined brightly, with its cold and beautiful light creating weird shadows of the trees. A night bird warbled somewhere far away and its melodic voice made me relax. Seconds later I had fallen asleep with my head resting on my arms. My last thought before I dove in the sea of dreams was a specific boy. I leave to you to find out his name.

**Just a little something I wanted to write. I know I haven't updated for long but I was busy with school, my preparation for a writing contest and my band's practices. I am truly sorry for keeping anyone who is reading this waiting. I will stop now because most probably no one is reading this. (That is what I do mostly so I understand) **


	5. Chapter 5

Robin was standing outside Maria's house debating on whether it was a good or bad idea what he had in mind. A part of him was telling him to just knock the door and ask for Maria. He had even gotten her uncle's permission to be around her. The other part of him was reminding him that for the last months he wanted nothing else but to avoid meeting Maria. After a while the first part of him just told the other to shut up which the other did with protest. So his fist was raised ready to knock on the wooden door when his ears caught a sound which didn't match with the sounds of the forest nor with the sounds of the house. Curiously he walked toward the source of the sound having forgotten why he was there in the first place.

The noise brought him near an open window. He looked inside being really careful to not be noticed. The first thing his eyes caught was a piano. He hadn't really taken a look inside the manor in his whole life so he didn't know there was a piano inside. Then his gaze fell to the player and his jaw dropped open and his brown eyes widened.

On the piano's sit sat Maria. Her fingers were moving fast touching the piano keys lightly but strong enough to make the notes echoed loudly in the room. But her advanced playing wasn't the reason for him to be shocked. The reason was the realization that the sound he could only describe as beautiful was her singing.

_Maria's P.O.V _

When I woke up this morning I had the need to play the piano. My uncle wasn't anymore annoyed at the sound of it now he had gotten back with Loveday and he had given me the permission to play whenever I wanted.

Touching the piano keys and slowly letting the music fill my ears made me relax. After a while unconsciously I started singing the melody of the song. When I realized what I was doing I froze for a moment. I haven't sung since my mother's death. When I was little, my mother and I always used to sing together. But after her death singing was only painful because it reminded me of her being gone. So why now it didn't feel like my heart was ready to break? I took a deep breath and the smell of the flowers and the forest outside hit me on the face. That was when I understood. The things I had gained here in Moonacre had lessened the pain my mother's death had brought me. I smiled to myself and continued playing now my voice sounding loud and clear.

I was so focused on the piano I ignored the small movement by the window which I had seen with the corner of my eye. I just carried on playing thinking it was a bird or something which passed by near the window.

Not long later my ears caught someone's clapping. My hands stopped moving and the note, which was ready to leave my mouth, never came out. Putting my hands on my lap slowly I turned to look at the window only to see Robin clapping the ends of his lips slightly curled up forming a small smile.

_Nobody's P.O.V_

"Well, well, look what to we have here. The little Princess knows how to sing." Robin said teasingly trying to hide his astonishment.

Maria's face went pale. Of all people, Robin had to be the one who heard her singing. Her face hit up turning from pale to bright red. She opened her mouth trying to find something to answer him back but no words came out. She closed her mouth and repeated the action only to give after a few failed attempts to come up with something to say. She turned to face the piano keys and put her elbows on the piano holding her face with her palms.

"Why are you here?" she asked angrily after a while looking back at him.

"Oh so you don't want me here. Better get going then." he said and started to walk away.

"Wait. I just asked why you are here. I didn't' say you should leave." Maria said a little too loud standing up.

"So you want me to stay, Princess? I am flattered." Robin said still smiling teasingly. Him being like that was just a way to hide his true thoughts but Maria didn't know that.

"Stop making out whatever suits you from what I say. And you didn't answer. Why are you here? And why are you sneaking around hearing me singing without me knowing." She said angrily.

"I just happen to pass by and coincidently heard you playing. By curiosity I came to see who was playing and saw you." Robin answered deciding to hide the fact he had come to visit her in the first place.

Maria raised her eyebrows suspiciously. The whole incident was too coincidental. She decided to brush it off without making a comment on it having the feeling she wouldn't like his answer.

"You sing very well, I have to admit. I don't know a lot because I have only faint memories of my sister singing before she left the castle. But her voice compared to yours is just average. Who taught you to sing like that?" Robin mentally slapped himself realizing he had talked too much. He was trying to not speak his mind a lot but there he was telling her all his inner thoughts.

Maria's eyes clouded. Being reminded who taught her made her feel a little hurt. Memories of her mother still made her sad, even if it wasn't the same as before. She glanced away not looking at Robin.

"My mom taught me. She had the voice of an angel." She said and her voice came out as a whisper.

Robin was ready to ask why she used a past tense when the memory of the first time he had seen Maria hit him. At the cemetery she had left a rose to another grave near her father's. It must have been her mother's. He felt sorry for her but didn't say it. He knew from personal experience that saying words like 'I am sorry' or 'It will all be alright' didn't help at all. He knew that losing someone wasn't something which would be alright. He hadn't met his mother because she had dead giving birth to him. He could assume that if never meeting your mother is painful, losing her in a young age after being brought up by her was ten time the pain.

"You know the only person I thought as my mother was Loveday. She always took care of me and she was the one who actually brought me up. When she left I knew I should have hated her because of her betrayal. But I just couldn't stop feeling sad and empty without her around. That is one reason why I am thankful to you for breaking the curse. You gave me my sister back. Even though I can't do anything about your mother I want you to know I will be around if you want someone to talk you." The words left his mouth without him even realizing it. Now Maria was looking at him with wide eyes.

_Great, now she must think I am weird or something like that…._ he thought nervously.

"Thank you Robin. That was really sweet. I have to go because I have a lesson with Miss Heliotrope but if you want we can meet later. I think Loveday is coming to visit so you can come with her." Hearing her talking actually made his heart skip a bit. Not because it was her who had talked or anything romantic, like the things in the movies. No the thing that made his heart skip a bit was her sincerely thanking him. He wasn't really used to being thanked for anything.

"Then I will see you later, Princess. I wish you to have a nice lesson though I pity you for having to be inside such a sunny morning." With that he turned and headed toward the woods having completely forgotten that the reason for going to the manor in the first place was to talk to her about her nightmares. He just disappeared into the woods without looking back. If only he had he would have seen Maria still at the window watching him as he became one with the shadows of the forest.

**Did you like it? I wanted to bring up the topic about Maria's mother and just couldn't find a better way to do it. Hope it wasn't too sweet for you. Please review. Also I would like to thank all the people who were kind enough to review. Till next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I wanted to apologize to everyone who is following my story for not writing for so long. I was busy with a lot of stuff but now I am determent to write as often as I can. I want to thank the people who have favorite this story and also the people who follow my story. So thanks to: Bob Dillon, BooksRockGirl so what, GuinevereRose, KyleighBug, OliviaC72603, Pumpkin-love33, SakurianaHime, Trapped-in-a-land-of-wonder, WisperinfTardis, Ciera745, MellMellMell, PurpleRose8a, Tabithasauls, rainbowsara, roseinthegarden, (Hope I wrote everyone's name correct and (Ok now you may think I am weird but I don't care) I have to say that some of these names are awesome) And after this long prologue which I believe almost no one read, comes the story. Enjoy and don't forget to review.**

Maria was whistling quietly while entering the library. She laughed thinking that Miss Heliotrope would have found it inappropriate for a young lady to whistle. Walking between the tall bookshelves, she inhaled the smell of old paper. Even if reading books weren't her favorite pastime activity, she had come to feel at piece inside the large library of the manor.

Looking around unable to decide what book she should take, she continued walking around. Distant noises came from the living room where Maria knew her uncle, Loveday and Coeur de Noir were sitting, discussing the last details for the wedding which was only four days away. Maria suddenly stopped her eyes fixed on a large book which she assumed from the title was about horses.

She was ready to reach it when another book fell from its place with noise only a few feet away from her. Maria raised her eyebrows curiously looking at the book on the floor. She took it in her hands and examined it. It looked rather old, with its dusty timeworn black cover and its pages which with time had turned into a lightly yellow color. On the cover with silver letters was written the title. "The two princesses of Moonacre." Maria read aloud narrowing her brown eyes. With the book about horses totally forgotten, she sat down with her back at the bookshelves, opened the book and started reading.

_Long before the Moon Princess was given that title, she was no more than a woman. Of course, as the daughter of Sir William de Noir, she was treated with respect. But it is not known that the Moon Princess wasn't an only child. No, the Moon Princess had a younger sister. Her name was Angelique de Noir. And as her name implied she was indeed angelic in both appearance and character._

Maria took her eyes away from the pages of the book trying to process what she had just read. No one had told her that the first Moon Princess had a sister. If all this was true, then she had made a huge discovery. Excited but also curious to know more about Angelique de Noir she continued reading.

_Angelique was known for her beauty. Her raven black hair which was almost always tied up in a ponytail were smooth and shined under the sunlight. Her porcelain heart shaped face was flawless with her full rosy lips and her delicate features. Her amber eyes, which under the sunlight seemed to be gold, were surrounded by big black eyelashes. Her head was supported by a swan like neck and round shoulders. Her body was slim with curves at the right places. Everyone admired her beauty._

_Her behavior was one to much her appearance. She treated everyone with the respect they deserved. She tried to not be mean to anyone even if the others were rude to her. Of course that only happened in a few rare cases because everyone adored Angelique. She was skilled in music, dance and drawing. But even if everyone thought highly of her, she wasn't happy._

_The reason of her unhappiness would seem silly to others but for her it wasn't. She would try too hard to reach her sister with no success. It wasn't that she wasn't delighted with the respect she was given. It was that she thought it wasn't enough. She wanted to reach the person she admired the most, who was her older sister. But she was always a step too far away to reach her. She would never be treated the same with her sister and that saddened her. _

_One night which as many other she had spent sleepless trying to figure out why she couldn't reach the lever of her sister it finally hit her. Her sister had something she didn't. Her older sister had the love of Mother Nature herself. With that reasoning Angelique came to the conclusion that for her to finally be treated the same with her sister she had to win the love of Mother Nature._

_But whatever she did wasn't enough to make the Mother Nature to notice her. Even if she treated both people and animals with kindness and love, even if she always helped others to the point of risking her own safety to do so, she couldn't achieve her goal. So days became months and Angelique would grown more and more miserable. The reason her efforts weren't successful was one. She did all these not from her good heart as her sister but for her own selfish reasons._

_As she grew up, the misery inside her turned to something else, something darker. It turned into loathing and hatred towards her sister. She came to be jealous of her and wanting not to reach her anymore but to surpass her and overpower her. This change in her thinking affected not only her behavior but the way others saw her. The people around her started not to think of her as beautiful and that only made things worse._

_The day when her sister was given the moon pearls was the breakdown for the young Angelique. Realizing she would never win over her sister and that she would always come second, she couldn't bare with it anymore. One night she has thrown herself over the window of the tower where her room was into the darkness and straight to her death. But even then she didn't find peace. It is said that her soul is still bound by her sadness and is waiting for someone to set her free. It is also said that only someone as powerful as the Moon Princess can save the Angelique's soul_

As she finished reading the story, Maria wasn't surprised that a few tears had fallen from her eyes and had wetted her cheeks. She was touched by the tragedy of Angelique. The young girl had become trapped inside her own attempt to match the person she admired the most. Her eyes stayed fixed at the last sentence. If what was said there was true then the pour girl's soul had still to find peace. Maria assumed that not many knew about Angelique's story because all those years the Merryweather and the de Noir were busy hating each other.

"Maria where are you? Dinner is ready!"

Miss Heliotrope's voice interrupted her thoughts. The girl stood on her feet running her hands over the skirt of the dress to tidy it up. After some thought she put the book back to his place deciding she would go back to the library later to search information on Angelique de Noir. She wasn't sure if she would find anything in the library but it was worth a try. Miss Heliotrope's voice sounded again and Maria left the library to find her. She left so quickly and her thoughts were so messed up by what she had found out that she didn't notice something important when she put the book back to his place. She didn't notice that from its position and the way the books were so close to one another, it was impossible for the book to fall of the shelve on its own.

**Dan dan dan…Cliffhanger! I love cliffhanger, especially when I am not the reader! Don't you? See you next time. And don't forget to review. Did I say that again? Well I repeat myself a lot so it is not a problem.**


	7. Chapter 7

Maria had searched a lot the following two days. But unfortunately she couldn't find anything else about Angelique de Noir. It was like her existence has been forgotten by the next generations. It was like she never existed.

So Maria had decided to take a break from her searching and enjoy the sun by sitting outside the manor relaxing. She had managed to escape from Miss Heliotrope after a lot of effort. Well, actually now that she was thinking about it, Miss Heliotrope didn't seem so against with the idea of cancelling their classes for the afternoon. _It might be my imagination, but I think something is going on behind my back…._

Suddenly she heard someone approaching her. She opened her eyes, which were closed till that moment, and stood up from the chair she had put outside. She looked behind her only to see Robin walking towards her with Wrolf by his side. Maria smiled at the sight of them and waved at them.

"How come you visit us?" she asked Robin still smiling. "You know, it is wise to leave your home when you have a soon-to-be-wed older sister who is being hysteric because her wedding is in two days time." Robin answered and Maria laughed. "Come on, it cannot be that bad." She said trying to defend Loveday. "Well, you have a point. She still hasn't tried making me wear the dress of the bridesmaid who she cannot find." He pointed out. An image of Robin in the pinkish red dress Loveday has chosen for her bridesmaids came to Maria's mind and a pearl of laughter came out of her mouth.

The sound of a carriage's wheels and horses' neighs distracted them. They turned towards the road and saw a grayish white carriage which was pulled by two horses, one brown and one black. "Don't the quests arrive tomorrow?" Robin asked as confused as Maria was. They saw Miss Heliotrope exiting the manor and walking towards the carriage as it came to a stop outside the manor's front door.

A girl came out of the vehicle. Maria from the distance that separated them could only see the newcomer's ginger hair which was up, tied in a ponytail. As the sunlight fell on the girl, an ornament which decorated her hair caught Maria's attention. Her eyes grew wide as she recognized the water lily shaped jewel. _No, it can't be, can it? She isn't…._

Forgetting where she was and who was watching, Maria started running towards the newcomer and Miss Heliotrope who were talking. When she came by their side, the girl looked at her and Maria saw the person she hadn't thought that she could see again.

"Cecilia!" She shouted with delight and hugged her best friend tightly. "Maria…need air….can't breath…" Cecilia said trying to take a breath. Maria let go of the girl laughing nervously.

That exact moment, a boy came out of the carriage. He had the same ginger hair as Cecilia but his eyes were dark green while Cecilia were a lighter shade of green mixed with blue. "Nick, you are here too!" Maria said surprised. She couldn't help but blush seeing the twin brother of her best friend. She had a crush at said boy since they were very young. Even if she didn't see him like that anymore, she was very embarrassed for no apparent reason every time she met him.

"But of course. You really thought I would allow my sister to come and visit you without me?" he said giving her a smile that could make every girl faint. Maria and Cecilia unintentionally rolled their eyes. Nick was known to be a charmer and he loved doing things that made girls droll over him.

"What are you doing here?" Maria asked. "Miss Heliotrope invited us to your uncle's wedding." Cecilia said.

"Maria do you mind introducing me to your friends?" Robin, who had by that time approached them, said interrupting their conversation. Maria saw the look in Cecilia's eyes as she laid eyes on Robin. The girl put on a dazzling smile and stepped in front of the De Noir. "My name is Cecilia. I am Maria's best friend." She said in a sweet tone. Maria's eyes widened as she recognized her best friend's tactics of charming boys. She felt something inside her chest ache. She knew very well that when Cecilia liked someone she always ended up charming that person. And it seemed that Robin had just become her target.

_Oh, come on, stop being an idiot Maria. Cecilia's interest for a boy changes every week. It isn't something serious. And Robin might not even like her._

"I didn't know that Princess had friends. I thought I was the only one who could tolerate her temper. I am Robin." Robin said. "Hey, I do not have a temper!" Maria protested loudly forgetting her worry over Cecilia liking Robin. "Sorry to disappoint you, Maria, but you do have a temper." Cecilia remarked giggling her eyes never leaving Robin.

_Ok, please tell me this is not happening! Of all people, Cecilia had to like Robin….. Wait, wait, I should stop worrying. It isn't that big of a deal, right? Is it? Is it?_

"Miss Heliotrope, can you please show us our rooms?" Nick asked changing subject because he could see that Maria was not feeling comfortable. "Of course! Come with me, Cecilia, Nick." Miss Heliotrope said entering the manor and the twins followed her. "See you around, Robin." Cecilia said smiling sweetly only to be pushed inside the house by her brother. "We will talk later, Maria. It was nice to meet you, Robin." Nick said before disappearing inside the house.

Maria sighed thankful that Nick always knew what to do. She didn't notice that Robin looked at her suspiciously. He didn't like Nick. And he certainly didn't like his closeness with Maria.

_**Oh man, I am in a terrible position. Now you are getting jealous because Maria is friends with a boy. I am pathetic…..**_

"I got to go. I have a lot to do and so little time. See you later, Maria." Robin said staring to walk away.

"You are leaving already?" Maria asked before she could control herself. Robin turned to look at her with a smirk on his face. "What? Will the Princess miss me?" he asked with a bit of arrogance. Maria rolled her eyes at him and folded her arms over her chest. "Keep dreaming, Robin." She said a little bit too loudly and entered the manor hoping that he hadn't seen the light blush on her face.

Robin chuckled looking at the closed door of the manor before approaching Wrolf, who had stayed hidden as to not scare Maria's friends.

"Stupid Robin, jerk." Maria mumbled to herself as she watched from a window him and the black lion disappearing in the trees.

**I am so sorry that I haven't updated for so long. I hope you like this chapter. What do you thing about Cecilia and Nick? Believe me when I say that now that they have arrived, a lot of drama will happen! Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

It had been decided that Cecilia would sleep in Maria's room with Maria while Nick would sleep in one of the guest's rooms. The boy went to unpack his things and Miss Heliotrope left the two girls alone in Maria's room. Cecilia left her luggage at the far end of the room and then sat on the bed's mattress looking knowingly at Maria who had occupied her desk's chair.

"So you and Robin, huh? I thought you still liked boys like my brother." Cecilia said smirking mischievously. Maria was taken by surprise so much that she managed to fall off the chair and land on the floor.

"Cecilia, what are you talking about? Me and Robin…we are not…he is…we are just friends!" Maria said nervously and picked herself up.

"Oh, of course you are just friends, sweetie. That explains the flames in your eyes when I flirted with Robin. Dear, you were so angry that I could almost see the smoke coming out of your ears." Cecilia said laughing. She helped Maria tied up the skirt of her dress still giggling at Maria's light blush. "You are delusional. I don't like Robin like that and he definitely doesn't like me like that!" Maria said. _Of course he doesn't like me like that. A few months ago, he hated me. Ok, he had a change of heart, but still he would never like me like that. He is just a friend, a very good friend. Oh, why am I still stressing over Cecilia's teasing?_

"Ok, honey, whatever floats your boat. For your information, I won't go after Robin. But if you continue being in denial, I cannot promise anything." Cecilia said with a Cheshire smirk in her lips. She pulled the water lily ornament away from her hair letting the ginger locks fall on her shoulders. Her green-blue eyes shined with amusement as she watched Maria struggle to think something to answer to her statement. Even though she was her best friend, Cecilia loved teasing Maria.

"So you still have my present?" Maria said finally pointing at the hair ornament. Cecilia rolled her eyes at the girl's obvious attempt to change the subject. "Of course I do. What were you thinking? That just because you moved out of London, I would forget all about you?" the girl said, faking being hurt. The girls burst into pearls of laughter and soon they found themselves struggling to breathe.

That exact moment, a knock on the door reached their ears. "Come in!" they both shouted in union.

Nick entered the room, smiling at the sight of the two best friends' teary eyes, and red faces from the laughter. "So, did you to catch up? Because I don't know about you, but I'm starving! Maria, your uncle is waiting for us at the dining room." He said.

"Ok, my dear brother, we are right behind you!" Cecilia said standing up and pushing not-too-gently the boy out of the room. She closed the door rolling her eyes as the boy protested. "Nick, go ahead! We will be there in a second." Maria said trying to prevent an upcoming fight between the twins. The girls heard Nick's sighing from the other side of the door. "Ok, Maria, I trust you. Please don't let my sister dearest influence you." Nick said. His footsteps as he went down the stairs echoed in the empty corridor.

"Oh my God! Seriously, Maria, I start to get worried. You have two boys pinning on you and I have none. How did this happen?" Cecilia said and watched as Maria's face went bright red with embarrassment. "Please tell me you are not talking about Nick. You know he doesn't like me! And I am over him!" Maria said. "I am over him!" She repeated seeing the look of disbelief on Cecilia's face.

"Yeah yeah sure, sweetie. Of course you are over him. Now shall we go before he comes much more furious than before." Cecilia said. She grabbed Maria by the hand and the girls went out of the room and down the stairs, laughing and smiling all the way.

_~Wedding Day!~ (A/n: Hope you are as excited as I am)_

Maria and Cecilia went to the De Noir's castle early on the morning, riding on the horses. Maria road her own horse while Cecilia had borrowed a brown one from the stables.

The girls road inside the forest's path. Maria could feel Wrolf walking around, always keeping an eye on them but at the same time staying in the shadows. she was thankful the lion had realized that he needed to stay hidden.

The girl had tried countless times the past two days to talk to Cecilia about everything that had happened. But she was afraid that if she started talking about magical pearls, black lions, unicorns and the Moon Princess, Cecilia would think she had gone mad. So she had chosen to postpone telling Cecilia about her adventure.

And now they were heading to the De Noir's castle to get ready for the wedding ceremony. Maria had gone to visit Loveday the previous night and the woman was more than glad to have her and Cecilia around willing getting ready. It seemed weird how the always calm and smart woman was as stressed as hell when it came to her wedding.

As they entered the castle's yard, Maria waved at the people they met on their way. Most of them smiled at her waving back. Maria saw Robin's friends approaching them and smiling, she motioned to Cecilia to halt.

"Hello John, Lysander and Peter. How are you guys?" Maria asked. The three boys made a dramatic bow towards her, similar smirks on their faces. "We greet the cunning and beautiful princess." Lysander said his blue eyes meeting Maria's. The girl rolled her eyes at him. She had come to realize that from the four of them, he was the flirtiest one. "Don't mind this airhead, Merryweather. We are just fine as long as we stay away from the woman of the day." John said pushing Lysander aside. "Yeah, Loveday is freaking out again!" Peter explained making a weird face at her.

"Oh come on guys, it cannot be that bad." Maria said. The boys looked at her with raised eyebrows and the 'are-you-serious' look on their faces. "Ok, ok maybe you are right. How is Robin holding up?" Maria asked looking around hoping she would see said boy. She missed the boys sharing knowing looks with each other. On the other hand, Cecilia, who saw them, giggled quietly.

"His royal highness is probably hiding waiting for this day to end. Do you want us to tell him you are looking for him?" Peter asked. As the eldest one of the group and the observant one, he had been the first one to notice the change in Robin's and Maria's relationship. He had approved of them being together but he was getting impatient with Maria being in denial and Robin being too scared to speak to her about his feelings.

"No, no! You don't need to do that. It is fine. Everything is fine. I am good!" Maria bubbled, her cheeks tinted with a light shade of pink. John faked coughing in an attempt to hide his laughter. Lysander smiled at the embarrassed girl while Peter looked up to the sky, sighing deeply.

"And who is this lovely lady that is accompanying you, Maria?" John asked looking at Cecilia. As he talked, the other two turned to look at the girl. Cecilia smiled at them and made her horse move closer to the group. "My name is Cecilia Bishop. I am here for the wedding and I'm Maria's best friend." The girl introduced herself flipping her loose ginger hair over her shoulder with the back of her hand. "We are very glad to meet you, Cecilia. I must say you look like an angel under the lovely light of the sun." Lysander said heading over to her. He took her hand in his hands and, bowing slightly, he kissed lightly her knuckles. Cecilia raised her eyebrows so high they almost reached her hairline.

"Let the girl go, pretty boy. Enough flirting for today." Peter said as he and John grabbed Lysander by the shoulders, dragging him away from Cecilia. Maria threw her head back, laughing loudly at the scene. "Excuse us, ladies. We need to take him away before he starts to think that he is actually likable." John said rolling his eyes. "My beautiful friends, they are taking me away from your lovely presences. Please, save me a dance at the wedding party later." Lysander said winking at them making both girls look at each other biting their lips in an attempt not to laugh. "Cecilia Bishop, Princess, we will see you later." Peter said as they walked away.

When the three boys disappeared inside the castle, Cecilia looked at Maria. "Princess?" she asked curiously. Maria, not knowing what to say, just shrug her shoulders, letting the matter slip away.

The girls rode off from their horses and after taking them to the stables, they headed towards Loveday's room. Maria halted for a moment as they reached the corridor that leaded to Robin's room. She looked at the closed door in the far end of the hall and with a sigh; she turned around and went straight to Loveday's room.

Loveday opened the door when they knocked. The woman was already dressed in her wedding gown but other than that she was a total mess. Her hair could easily be mistaken for a mess and she had black bags under her eyes, possibly not having slept at all the previous night.

"Oh, thank God, Maria you are here. Hello, you must be Cecilia, it is a pleasure to meet you. Maria I need your help. The bridesmaids are still getting ready, there is a mess down in the kitchens, everyone is getting ready for the wedding and I am a mess. Oh God I am going to faint! I won't make it on time! What am I going to do?" Loveday started talking so fast, that the girls struggled to understand what she was saying.

"Ok, Loveday, calm down. Take deep breathes. Everything is going to be ok. I will send some down to the kitchens to check out the situation. Cecilia here will talk to your maid of honor and she will help the bridesmaids get ready while I bring you some tea to calm you down. And then I, Cecilia and the girls will help you get ready. And everything is going to be alright." Maria said calmly, placing her hands on the woman's shoulders and pushed her lightly inside the room. She motioned over her shoulder to Cecilia to go down the hall to find the bride of honor's room.

It took her half an hour and five cups of tea to get Loveday to calm down. The woman, who obviously hadn't slept at all those passed days, had finally managed to relax and was now taking a nap. Maria sighed exhausted already. This was going to be a long day…

**Ok I am mean. I mean, I finally upload after a long time and I create a cliffhanger. I hope you like it. The wedding is a big event so probably the next chapter will be all about it. **

**Thank you guys for your lovely reviews! I am so sorry I haven't uploaded recently but I have been going through a very bad moment of my life…. I hope I'll be able to upload again soon**


	9. Chapter 9

**I am truly, madly, deeply sorry of taking soooooooo long to update. I was having a hard time with many things the passed few months and couldn't find the creativity to write. A big thanks to all of you who are still following my story and an even bigger one to those who have put it in their favourite list. So here we go…..**

Two hours after Loveday had woken up, everything was in order. The bridesmaids were ready and now, alongside with Maria and Cecilia, were fixing Loveday's hair. They had fixed them up in a lovely fishtail braid and would later decorate them with fresh flowers. Loveday's eyes were shining with ecstasy and her smile was as bright as the sun, now that she had calmed down. Her wedding dress looked marvelous on her and Maria couldn't help but smile excited at the woman who was soon to be her aunt.

After Loveday was ready, Maria's and Cecilia's turn came. The two girls changed with quick movements into the dresses they had picked for the wedding.

Cecilia's dress was a wine purple colour, making her eyes look bluer and complementing her ginger hair. She wore her hair up in a high bun with baby hair framing her face in the form of soft curls.

Maria, on the other hand, had chosen a turquoise dress, its bodice embroided with silver strings creating a vein pattern. She had let her hair down and the untamed curls fell wildly on her shoulders, with only one silver ribbon keeping a part of them away from her face,

"Oh my, Maria, you are beautiful! And you Cecilia look lovely!" Loveday shouted in delight clapping her hands together like a child would do. Maria smiled at the woman's actions.

"Well, Maria will definitely impress EVERYONE at the festivities after the wedding ceremony, don't you agree, Loveday?" Cecilia said looking at her best friend knowingly. Maria's smile vanished and she looked at Cecilia wide-eyed. Loveday, finally catching up, smiled mischievously. "Yea I absolutely agree, my dear. Maria will definitely impress many young men today. Is there anyone in particular you would like to catch his attention, Maria?" Loveday asked faking innocence.

Robin's image appeared in Maria's mind and the young girl flushed, her cheeks turning into a cheery shade of red.

_Why did I think of him now…stupid mind…..stupid Cecilia…..and Loveday, you idiot! Of course I don't want to impress anyone. I am not interested in anyone...Yes I am not…I am definitely not…_

"You are being ridiculous. I can bet that Cecilia will attract more male attention than I will. And besides, I am not interested in anyone." She said. She had wanted to sound sure about herself and confident but her answer to the two women's teasing had came out of her mouth in the form of an embarrassed mumble.

Both Loveday and Cecilia nodded agreeing with her, but the knowing smiles and mischievious glint in their eyes never left. "Yeah, sure, you aren't interested, honey. Now I do believe we need to head to where the wedding will take place. Loveday, it was lovely meeting you. We will see you later." Cecilia said turning from Maria to Loveday. Then she grabbed Maria's arm and dragged her out of the room. The girl was too occupied trying to keep up with Cecilia that she didn't notice the glances her friend exchanged with Loveday. This was definitely going to be a long day…

The two girls reached the yard on the back side of the castle where the ceremony would take place. The majority of the guests- most of them being members of the De Noir family- were already there talking and laughing with each other. Maria spotted Coeur De Noir talking with Miss Heliotrope of all people. She couldn't help but giggle at the strange sight.

Her uncle was a bit harder to spot. Excusing herself to Cecilia, who by then had found her brother and was now chatting excited with him, she wandered around trying to find her uncle.

She found him near the end of the yard, besides the stone wall that surrounded the castle. He was standing still, his gaze unfocused, and he seemed to be in his own world. So it was no surprise that when Maria called him, he jumped slightly, being taken by surprise.

"Oh, Maria, it's just you." He breathed.

"Are you all right?" the girl asked, growing worried. Her uncle was never so absentminded. Benjamin shook his head with his eyes closed.

"Just a bit nervous. It's ridicilous, I know. I have wanted this for God know how long and now, at the last minute, I am getting nervous…." He sighed, leaning against the wall and looking up. Maria smiled.

"It's absolutely logical to get nervous. It's not everyday that you get married to the love of your life. Just breathe and remember how much you love Loveday. Then all the stress will vanish." She adviced him, speaking softly. She then hugged him. Benjamin smiled, hugging his niece back.

"Since when did you become all wise and mature?" he said jokingly. "Well, saving all of you from absolute distraction had some impact on my way of thinking." Maria said laughing. Benjamin bend down, kissing the girl's forehead.

"Thank you. For everything." He said. Maria's smile grew even wider. "Come on, the ceremony is starting any minute now. And I believe you are a valid person for the ceremony to actually be complete." She said, grabbing her uncle's forearm and together they walked towards the rest of the people.

Maria left her uncle with the priest, after giving him a small peck on the cheek and wishing him luck, and headed towards the last line of chairs that had been placed there for the guests to sit during the ceremony. There Cecilia and Nick were already sitting, as well as Lysander, Peter and John. The De Noir boys waved at her, all grinning, as she sat on an empty sit, with Cecilia to her left and John to her right.

"My beatiful princess, I must say you look even more enchanting than before…"

Lysander was quickly shut up by a smack on the back of his head from Peter. "Shut up, lover boy, because if his royal highness hears you, you will probably be dead by this time tomorrow." The older boy whispered. Unfortunately for them, Maria could still hear what he said. "Peter, what are you talking about? Why Robin would hurt Lysander?" She asked. All three De Noir, as well as Cecilia, who had heard what Peter said, turned and looked at her bewildered. "Why are you looking at me like that? What did I say?" Maria protested, growing more confused than even. The three boys sighed and shook their heads in defeat. "Honey, you being oblivious can be so cute sometimes." Cecilia said, laughing lightly. "What are you talking about?" Maria asked. Cecilia wasn't making any sense at all to her.

The girl didn't get to answer because the musician started playing music and everyone turned to look at Loveday who had just exited the castle. With her right arm resting on the crook of Couert De Noir's elbow, her left hand holding a bouquet of lilies and a wide smile on her face, the bride was glowing with happiness.

Maria threw a quick glance at her uncle only to see him with a same smile as Loveday's on his face, eyes glassy from tears unshed. She smiled, feeling tears gathering in her own eyes.

Turning her focus back at Loveday, she noticed that behind the bride and her father, Robin was following. Her eyes widened at the sight of him. Having abandoned his usual attire, he was dressed in a maroon red shirt, black pants and vest, and a black tie wrapped around his neck. The only thing that was the same was his hat atop his head.

_Wow, he looks….wow….Wait a second! Maria, stop ogling at him! He is Robin for heaven's sake! He is just Robin…although he looks so handsome….No, no, no stop thinking like that!_

The inner conflict in Maria's head was most probably visible on her face because the girl saw that Cecilia was looking at her with a knowing gaze, a mischievous smile on her lips. "Robin looks nice. Don't you think so, Maria?" the girl asked, nudging her friend with her elbow. Maria fought hard the blush that was threatening to appear on her face. "I…I don't know….I mean sure he does…not that he doesn't generally-um-I mean that-um…I…" the girl tried unsuccessfully to form a proper sentence. John, who had witnessed everything, although he couldn't deny that seeing the moon princess all flustered and in denial was an amusing sight, decided to help the pour girl out. "Miss Bishop, I do believe the ceremony is about to start." He pointed out, his eyes looking accusingly at Cecilia, an obvious sign for her to be quiet. The girl glared at him, annoyed that the young De Noir had messed up with her fun and her plan to make Maria admit she had feelings for Robin.

Truly, the ceremony did start and the two, along with Maria, who had calmed down, thankful to have escaped whatever plan Cecilia had in motion, turned to look at Loveday and Sir Benjamin who were facing the priest. They exchanged vows and the priests declared them husband and wife.

As the newlyweds shared a kiss, Maria joined the others clapping and cheering loudly for the union of two of the most important people in her life here at Moonacre Valley. As she looked around, taking in the happy faces and bright smiles, her eyes met with a pair of dark brown eyes. She offered Robin a soft smile, hoping that the distance between them hid the light blush on her cheeks. A blush which darkened significantly as he returned the smile with a boyish charming one of his own.

"And now, my beautiful angels, time to see how De Noirs celebrate!" Lysander announced enthusiastically grabbing both Cecilia and Maria and taking them to the part of the castle's yard where the after-ceremony party would be held. "I better go and restrain that casanova." John muttered and went after them, soon to be followed by Peter and Nick who were laughing at the sight. Maria looked over her shoulder, trying to find Robin again, but the quests had sat up and were moving, hiding the boy from her. She sighed defeated and instead focused on not tripping while Lysander was pulling them, moving almost to quickly for her to keep up.

Lysander had every right to be enthusiastic about the celebration the De Noir had planned. Tall wooden poles were placed all around the place, supporting colourful festoons and beautiful lanterns, shading more light as the evening went by and nighttime came. The music, enchanting and feeling the entire place, hadn't stopped not even once the passed two hours and people were always dancing at the rapid and cheerful beat. Food was being handed, the pleasant smells feeling the air.

Maria had danced twice with John and Lysander, once with Peter-who was now busy trying to get the girl he liked, a young pretty brunette who was on her break from playing the flute- and once with her uncle, who had a wide grin plastered on his face all evening, making it hard for her not to laugh at his almost childlike happiness. She had decided to take a break, finding an empty table-many of them were scattered all over the place- and sitting there with Cecilia, who had a flustered face after dancing nonstop for an hour.

"I cannot believe this! This…this is amazing!" Cecilia exclaimed gesturing to the general view of the festivities around them. Maria laughed, nodding as she couldn't agree more with her best friend's words.

Lysander approached them with a flirty smile and offered his hand to Cecilia. "My lovely mademoisele Bishop, would you do me the honor of accompaning me to a dance?!" he asked, doing a dramatic bow for effect. The girl shared a look, giggling at the boy's theatrical behaviour. Cecilia's eyes caught something over Maria's shoulder and the girl smiled widely. "Guess your Prince Charming found you at last." She said, bitting her lips trying not to laugh. Maria turned around on her chair, hands on the chair's back. Her eyes widened as she spotted Robin heading their way. Since the party had started, she hadn't gotten a chance to talk or even see him. He had gotten rid of the tie, leaving the first two buttons of his shirt undone, and he had its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Maria gulped and turned to look at her best friend, who had stood up and was in front of Lysander. "Well, I cannot dissapoint our dear Lysander here, can I?" Cecilia answered to Maria's pleading look, begging her to stay. Seeing that her friend didn't crack a smile and was holding onto the top of the chair's back so strongly her knuckles turned white, her gaze softened. "Sweetie, you will be fine. Just relax and enjoy yourself." She reassured her and taking Lysander's hand, the two joined the others who were dancing.

Maria breathed in and out, calming her nerves while watching Robin coming closer and closer with every moments. He was only a few feet away when suddenly Nick appeared before Maria. The boy smiled charmingly at her and her heart skipped a beat. He had, after all, been her first crush and would always be a dear friend to her. A friend who was extremely handsome and funny and smart. "You wouldn't refuse dancing with an old friend, would you?" Nick asked, taking her hand into his. Maria smiled, noticing that he was using the tone that he had reserved for charming young girls. "You aren't trying to charm me, are you, young Bishop?" she asked intending to make a joke. But Nick bended his neck, his face coming a bit too close to hers. "And what if I am?" he said, his voice deep and his blue eyes glowing bright under the light of the lanterns. Maria felt her heartbeat speed up and she was praying that she wasn't blushing. "Do you want that dance or not?" she breathed, standing up while moving away from Nick as well. The boy either didn't noticed that she was trying to change the subject of conversation on purpose or decided not to comment on it. Either way he pulled gently at her hand, tugging her closer to his side. "Shall we?" he said and moved towards the group of people who were still dancing.

Maria noticed a familiar blur of black and red with the corner of her eye and turned to look at Robin. The boy was definitely staring at the pair, lips closed tightly forming a thin line, hands curled into fists. But the moment Maria turned her head around to meet his gaze, he turned around and went towards another group of who the girl assumed were young De Noirs. She felt a tug at her heart at the memory of his dark, burning gaze that she had seen before he had turned away. But she shook that feeling away, put a smile on her face and let Nick lead her through the cheerful steps of the dance.

She tried to enjoy herself. And she succeeded mostly. Only once did her mind wander far enough to question what could have happened if Robin had been by her side before Nick.

**A/N: Oh, cute little Maria being in denial…isn't in adorable?! And Nick, you idiot! Stealing her away from Robin like that…Expect more drama in the next chapter (which I promise will not be after so many months)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ok, I need to say something. I had so much fun writing this chapter! I just find Maria and Robin absolutely adorable! So here is the last part of the wedding. Enjoy!**

As Cecilia danced with Lysander, she spotted Maria dancing with her brother just a few feet away. She grid her teeth and held back with difficulty the curse that was at the tip of her tongue. Leave it to that idiot of a brother she had to mess everything up…..She was determined to get Robin and Maria together before she went back in London and she hoped that them sharing a dance would speed things up. But no…..her brother had to go and ruin it…..

"You shouldn't worry. His royal highness will not let your brother steal Maria from him that easily."

Cecilia snapped her eyes back at Lysander, who was looking at her with a knowing grin. "Hey, don't look at me like that. Almost everyone in here knows that Robin has a major crush on Maria. And you are not trying to set them up in the most discreet way." Lysander said, laughing lightly at the bewildered look on Cecilia's eyes.

"Oh really?! Then let me ask you this. If you all know about Robin liking Maria, then why is no one doing anything to give them a push?" Cecilia asked, slightly annoyed at the boy's behaviour. She never liked people laughing at her.

Another chuckle left the boy's lips as he led the girl to a slow spin. "Well, you see my beautiful nymph….here we know not to get into another person's business." He said with a grin bringing her back close to him.

"Young De Noir, you are becoming more and more annoying with every minute that passes." Cecilia commented with a sweetly yet tight smile and a glare.

She wouldn't admit this to anyone except herself but she had found Lysander charming in the beginning. And who wouldn't?! Yes the boy was a hopeless flirt but he was also, with the enchanting grayish blue pools of his eyes, sun-kissed skin, well-build body and dirty blonde hair, very handsome. But Cecilia Bishop was not a person to be smitten by someone. She was a person that people were smitten by. And she was not someone who liked to be mocked.

"Hey, lover boy, I think you need to see this."

Cecilia and Lysander turned to face John, who had approached them without being noticed. He pointed towards somewhere behind Cecilia's left shoulder and the girl followed that direction. Her eyes wandered for a bit until she spotted what had drawn John's attention. Robin was only a few feet away from them, dancing with a girl, their bodies a bit too close. She felt anger boiling in her skin at the thought of that boy playing around with her best friend's feelings.

She focused her attention on the girl. She stood at the same height as Robin, maybe a few inches shorter. Her body was slender and her movements were lithe. She was wearing a violet gown, black sheer lace adorning its sweetheart neckline and waist. Her black straight hair was pulled up in a high bun, a hairstyle that complemented her high cheekbones and sharp jaw. As she and Robin danced, Cecilia managed to catch a glance at her whole face, and was entranced by a pair of jade green eyes that shined brightly under the light of the lanterns.

"Who the hell is she?" She asked narrowing her eyes in a furious state.

"Her name is Jacqueline or Jackie to us. She, Robin and I grew up together. Her older sister, Teresa, was Loveday's personal maid before Coeur De Noir 'banished' Loveday. You must have met Teresa; she was Loveday's maid of honor at the ceremony. Jackie has had a big crush on Robin for years." John explained to her. Cecilia's eyes widened. "And you leave her be near him when you know that Maria likes him?!" she said, her voice at a high pitch tone. Lysander and John raised their arms above their heads in a surrender movement. "Robin is a big boy, Bishop. He can handle his business. And anyway every time Jackie tries to change his mind about their relationship, he shots her down." John said.

Cecilia frowned at the boy's words. She turned her eyes once more at Robin and his dancing partner. They were dancing closely and intimately, which was contradictory given the fact that Robin knew about Jacqueline's feelings for him but didn't feel the same. The ginger was sure that Robin was not a person that would play around with another person's feeling. And then she saw for a slight moment Robin taking his eyes off his partner and having a quick glance around, like he was searching for something. The pieces of the puzzle fit together and everything became clear.

"He is trying to make Maria jealous?!" she exclaimed, actually shocked at the boy's cunningness. "My beautiful angel, you finally noticed it! Congratulations!" Lysander said, throwing an arm around Cecilia's shoulder, which the girl shoved off with force giving him a glare. The boy answered with a bright smile.

"Hey guys."

The boys and Cecilia turned around to smile at Maria who had just joined them. Cecilia noticed her brother standing by Maria's side and took a moment to glare at him, making him understand that he was in big trouble. Her twin gulped as he read inside her eyes that he was going to be lectured later for whatever he had done to annoy his sister.

Lysander and John shared a quick look and then moved with a knowing smile on both their faces. Cecilia noticed with satisfaction that, by doing so, the boys had made it able for Maria to easily spot Robin, who was still dancing with Jackie. And she smiled widely, seeing that her best friend did just that. Maria's brown eyes widened in shock and the smile on her face died with a downward twitch of her lips. "Is that Robin?" she asked, sounding as if she didn't want to believe what she was seeing. They all turned towards where she was looking and Cecilia nodded, answering to Maria's question. The girl turned her eyes to the ground, her lips a firm line. "I just remembered that I have something that needs to be done. Excuse me." She whispered and making a sharp turn, walked away almost running.

"What got into her?" Nick asked, confused by Maria's sudden change of behavior. Cecilia slammed her palm on her forehead. "Brother, you are such an idiot. Boys, I think I should talk to her." She said and followed Maria.

She found her at the far end of the yard, away from the music and the lights. Maria was staring at the moon, its cold white light casting shadows of her face. Her brown eyes were filled with sadness.

"Sweetie, are you ok?" Cecilia asked when she had almost reached Maria's side. The girl didn't seem surprised her best friend had followed her. "Yeah….just a bit tired." She said her voice deep and slightly trembling. Silence spread between them as Cecilia waited for her to say something else. When it became clear that Maria wasn't planning on talking or even moving from the spot she was standing, Cecilia started getting annoyed. She grabbed Maria's shoulder and turned her best friend around to face her.

"Maria, stop fooling yourself! You are annoyed and jealous of Robin dancing with another girl! Just admit it and do something about it! The Maria I know would never back down! She would stand her ground and claim what she wants, not mope around like some pathetic excuse of a person!" She shouted, holding tightly Maria by both shoulders and shaking her in frustration. Maria's eyes widened in surprise and alert at her best friend's sudden outburst and her mind started processing Cecilia's words.

The two girls stood there, staring at each other without saying anything. But, unlike before, the silence around them didn't bother Cecilia. It didn't bother her because she could see that her friend was thinking hard and she knew she needed the silence to do that.

In Maria's mind, her thoughts were running around with rapid speed and she was trying hard to catch them and organize them. Her mind slowly drifted to her memories of the events a few months prior. Of how she not only wasn't scared by being attacked on her way to Merryweather Manor, but also had fought back one of her attackers with a needle. Her thoughts fast forward, memories of when she had faced the De Noir boys in the forest with confidence and fearless behavior and when she had entered the De Noir castle and then escaped from her prison not flowing before her eyes. She thought of how she hadn't been scared of sacrificing herself to save the valley.

She suddenly got annoyed with herself. She was Maria Merryweather, the Moon Princess, for heaven's sake! How had she allowed whatever feelings she had for Robin-because she couldn't keep denying she didn't feel anything about him after seeing him with that girl- to turn her into a pathetic, fragile, afraid little girl?! This needed to stop and it needed to stop right now.

Cecilia smiled as she noticed the all-too-familiar fire of determination light up once again in her best friend's eyes. Maria looked at the ginger, answering to her smile with a confident smirk. She then threw her arms around Cecilia, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, Cecilia. You are a life-savior!" Maria said loudly, her voice filled with happiness. Letting Cecilia go, she walked back towards the celebration, chin held up high and shoulders back. Cecilia followed her, shaking her head, smiling in amusement seeing her friend's behavior.

The two girls soon came back to where they were before. John, Lysander and Nick were still standing there, and they all seemed puzzled seeing Maria return with a smile on her lips and her eyes shining brightly. "You are coming with me." She stated pointing at Lysander and, without waiting for the boy to respond, grabbed his arm pulling him with her as she walked towards where Robin and Jackie were still dancing.

"What did just happen?" John asked Cecilia, who was trying hard not to laugh at the view before her.

"Just shut up and enjoy the show." She told him.

Maria, with a confused Lysander on her side, reached Robin and Jackie exactly when the song that the band was playing came to an end. Jackie was the first one to spot them, and Robin, noticing her slightly alarmed and full with suspicion gaze, turned to see what had caused that reaction. Seeing Maria, he smiled instantly, not completely aware that he did.

"Hi! I'm Maria, nice to meet you. Lysander here was just telling me how much he wanted to share a dance with you." Maria told Jackie with a big smile, taking her hand into hers and shaking it. Jackie winced just a bit, feeling Maria's grasp on her hand tightening just a bit too much. And anyone would be alarmed by Maria's smile, which was a bit too sweet and cheery. "I was what now?!" Lysander asked, confused. Maria threw him a glance which made clear to him that if he declined the Moon Princess's words, he would have to face a terrible fate. Looking like a frightened rabbit facing its doom, with blue wide eyes, trembling lips and pale face, he rapidly nodded. "Yes, yes I was. Of course I was. I definitely was. Jackie would you like to dance?" he said and the words came out of his mouth in a hurry as he turned to look at the girl in question almost begging her to accept. "Uhm….sure…."Jackie said, a bit uncertain of what was going on.

As Lysander and Jackie left, Robin looked at Maria, half-amused by her actions and half-uncertain of the reason behind them. She looked back at him and found herself fighting back the blush that threatened to paint her cheeks. "It seems that Lysander just stole your dance partner." She pointed out, trying to focus on anything else except the way his gaze sent goosebumps all over her body. "Yeah, with your help he did just that." He said back, not entirely sure of what to say.

"Yeah….." Maria mumbled, starting to feel less and less certain about what she was doing now that she was left alone with Robin. She hadn't really thought of a plan before acting. She had just figured out a way of getting Jackie away from Robin. She had thought that she would be able to figure things out after that. She was wrong.

"Well, for my point of view, you owe me for having a role into me losing my dance partner. How is a dance sound to settle your debt?!"

Maria snapped her eyes, which were staring at her shoes, at Robin, looking shocked hearing him asking for a dance. The boy, seeing her expression, took it a bad hint and started losing confidence. "I mean….only if you want to…" he mumbled, fidgeting with his shirt's collar nervously. "No, no…eh…what I mean is….Yes I would love to dance with you." Maria said, being able to form a proper sentence in the end. Robin grinned at her and she smiled back.

A new song started and Robin took her right hand in his left while his right hand came to rest on her back. She placed her free hand on his shoulder, a bit too aware for her comfort of his hand on her back. They started moving around, dancing with nervous moves like they had never danced before. But as the song went on, they relaxed and their movements became more flowing and graceful. Maria sensed at some point Robin pulling her a bit closer to him but she didn't comment on it and they continued dancing, now their torso touching, something that didn't seem to make neither of them uncomfortable.

"So how long will Cecilia and that brother of hers stay in the Manor?" Robin asked, breaking the silence between them. Maria raised an eyebrow, noticing the slightly annoyed tone his voice had when he addressed Nick. "As long as they can, I guess. I mean, I surely want them to stay as long as they can." She answered, eyeing him suspiciously. Robin flinched just a bit, and the movement was so small that Maria wasn't sure if it did happen or if she was imagining things.

"Isn't Love day going to live with your uncle from now on?! Don't you think that having your friends around will mess around with their first days as newlyweds?! And, anyway, I get why you are friend with Cecilia, but I don't get what you see in that pretty boy of a brother she has." Robin said and as soon as he had finished his sentence, he bit his lips, regretting talking so much. A teasing smile bloomed on Maria's lips and Robin gulped, seeing the sparkle of amusement in her eyes.

"You wouldn't happen to be jealous of Nick, would you?!" Maria asked. Robin blinked a couple of time, trying hard to actually process what she had asked him, instead of losing himself in her bright sparkling eyes and slightly red cheeks and beautiful face and rose lips and….._oh boy, he was doomed_…..

And then his mind caught up with what Maria was saying and he pulled himself together. "Me, jealous of pretty boy over there?! Seriously, princess, why would I ever be jealous of him?!" he said and mentally cursed hearing his voice coming out a pitch higher than his normal tone. Maria giggled as he lead her into a turn and then extending one arm, lead her away from him. "Oh, I don't know…. Nick is a very nice guy. And he sure knows his way with the female population." She said, wanting to see Robin's reaction at her teasing.

_And sure you don't want him to actually be jealous of Nick….of course you don't…Oh for heaven's sake, stop lying to yourself. You are ridiculous; Maria Merry weather…..Oh dear Lord, Cecilia will never leave you alone if she finds out…_

"And that includes you, princess? Tsk, and I thought you were smarter than that." Robin commented pulling Maria out of the mental monologue she was having inside her head. Because she was distracted, she missed the slight annoyance that Robin displayed at the thought of Nick being at the receiving end of Maria's affection.

Maria, not entirely paying attention to Robin, misinterpreted his words. As he tugged at her arm, pulling her back into his embrace, she glared at him. "Oh really?! So what?! You don't thing I am good enough for him?!" she said, angry at him. Robin wasn't out off by her close to furious reaction. "Don't go and twist my words around. What I believe is that _he_ is not good enough for _you._" He explained, his face coming an inch closer to hers. Maria's eyes widened at that, seeing as now their noses almost touched. Suddenly, she was aware of their linked hands; his other hand around her waist, her chest touching his torso, and her face became scarlet red within seconds. She took a deep breath in, trying to calm down, something close to impossible.

Robin tried not to seem affected as he felt her breath on his face as she breathed out. He started regretting coming closer to her. Her hair smelled like raspberries and roses and the aroma overwhelmed his senses. He fought hard to not let himself bury his face in her hair.

"And who do you think is good enough for me?" Maria asked as soon as she was sure she wouldn't stutter the words and probably make a fool out of herself. She wasn't sure about why she had asked that question. Heck, she wasn't even sure what answer she was expecting.

_Just because he said Nick isn't good enough for me, it doesn't mean that he has an answer on who is. And it's not like I want him to answer….Right?!_

They had stopped dancing and were now just staring at each other. Maria could feel her knees go weak, almost barely supporting her. She wasn't aware of the fact that Robin was finding it hard to breath because of her eyes. And he wasn't aware of the effect he had on her either.

"Maria, I…"

Robin was interrupted by the appearance of Miss Heliotrope.

"There you are, Maria! I've been looking all over for you. We should get Miss Bishop and head home. It is too late for two young girls. It is not proper." The older woman said. The two teenagers jumped, alarmed at her sudden appearance, and quickly let go of one another. Miss Heliotrope looked from Maria to Robin, her eyes narrowed behind her glasses. "Yes, Miss Heliotrope. Let's find Cecilia." Maria murmured, obviously not pleased to leave but not eager to object her governor's orders. Miss Heliotrope, seeming pleased with Maria's response, turned around and walked away.

Maria turned towards Robin with an apologetic look on her face. "Hey, don't look at me like that. You got to go, I understand. Goodnight, Princess." He told her with a warm smile that caused butterflies inside Maria's stomach and a bright blush on her cheeks. He then bended down and set a kiss atop the girl's hair. He stood there a bit longer, closing his eyes and savoring the intoxicating aroma of her hair which overwhelmed his senses once more. Maria just stood there, frozen in place and shocked by Robin's actions. Her heart was pounding so loudly, she felt that any moment now it would break through her ribcage and skin. And then Robin took a step back, that warm smile still on his lips. Maria snapped her gaze towards the ground, flustered and embarrassed and confused. She mumbled a goodnight wish so quickly that Robin barely heard it and then she took off.

But, after taking a few steps away from him, she made a sharp move and walked towards him, a determined look on her face. Before Robin could figure out what was she doing, she had threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He returned the hug, his arms wrapping around her waist, trying to understand the meaning of her actions.

"Thanks for the dance." She whispered in his ear and then let go. She looked at him with a wide smile that was so bright and loving and….beautiful…. that send his heart in a race and he felt a slight dizziness. And he was half-scowling himself for acting like a mindless love-struck fool and half-being excited at the fact that he was _acting like a mindless __love-struck__ fool. _A part of him was telling him to get his act together. Another was telling him to just smile like an idiot. And he didn't have the mind and logic to follow the first part's advice,

"Goodnight, Robin." Maria said with a shy smile, hands behind her back. She then turned and run to catch up with Miss Heliotrope. Robin watched her and Cecilia following Miss Heliotrope and John-who apparently had volunteered to take them to the Manor- and he grinned, seeing the Moon Princess and her best friend giggling and talking with one another. Maria face was practically shining with pure happiness.

He was hoping that he had played a role into putting that smile on her face.

**I am sure all of you were expecting Robin to confess to Maria, right?! Blame Miss Heliotrope for interrupting them! **

**PLEASE READ: Don't you think Cecilia handled the situation just perfectly?! And I really want your opinion on her and Lysander. Would you like me to write more of the two of them?! I really want your opinion on this.**

**Also, expect something a bit different for the next chapter. I have introduced some topics on previous chapter that are essential to this story but I haven't really explained much. Any guess on what is going to happen on the next chapter are welcome!**

**And I would like to thank all the readers who took the time to review, or liked my story enough to favorite and follow it! And to all the future reviewers, any comments about the plot or my OC's and suggestion are welcome!**


	11. Chapter 11

The whole manor was silent, all of its inhabitants having already surrendered to sleep. Suddenly a weak, almost undetectable, hum echoed in the corridors of the building. Its rhythmic sound spread, reaching every corner of the manor.

In Maria's room, she and Cecilia were sleeping peacefully. But as soon as the humming reached the girl's ears, the Moon Princess started jerking in her sleep. Her head was moving from left to right and reverse in sharp moves, her body was shaking. Her eyes were moving rapidly behind closed eyelids. And yet she never woke up. But in the dream world….well, that was a whole different story….

_She could see colour. Thousands, no million different shades of red, blue, yellow, green. All surrounding her, moving with high speed. She tried keeping her eyes on one shade of colour but one moment it was there, the next it was gone, replaced with a different colour. She started turning around herself, eyes jerking back and forth, her mind trying to figure out what was happening._

_But then the colours disappeared. And she found herself in a field covered in purple and blue flowers._

_Giggling reached her ears and she turned towards the direction of the sound. She spotted two figures far away from her, running around in the field. But the next moment she was standing right beside them._

_They were two little girls, probably only eight, nine years old. The oldest was a head taller than the other, her blonde loose hair shining under the warm sun. She was wearing a sky blue dress, her equally blue eyes shining with glee as she ran around, a pearl of laughter escaping her mouth. The other one, the younger, had her ebony black hair braided in a fishtail, the braid bouncing up and down her back with her every step. She was dressed in a pearl white dress and the skirt's fabric created waves as the little girl span around herself, hands spread wide open. She fell back, landing on the purple flowers, right beside the other girl who had by then sat down and was making a crown out of flowers._

"_Girls, it's time to head back!"_

_As Maria turned around towards the voice, the whole scenery melted around her and changed._

_This time, she was in a room with stone walls, a tall glass window on her right shading light in the space. A small crick sounded and she turned, only to see a wooden door behind her opening and two young girls, around her age, entering the room. Even though they were a bit different, Maria was sure they were the older versions of the girls she had seen at the field._

_The two girls sat on two chairs, the blonde one letting out a long deep breath. "We finally managed to escape from nanna's grasp." The younger one said with a laugh. "Yeah but for how much longer, that's the real question." The blonde one said. The other frowned. "Oh, come on now, Annabelle. Don't be such a pessimist." She said as she glared at the blonde. "Fine, Angie. Whatever you say." The blonde one said, cracking a laugh. Soon the two girls were laughing their hearts out._

_The scene melted like before and the room dissolved. _

_This time, it was nighttime. Maria stood at an open courtyard which seemed oddly familiar. But she couldn't remember if and when she had been there before._

_A loud thud caught her attention and she turned around. A tall and slim girl, a bit older than Maria she seemed, stood a few feet away from her. The sound had been made from a wooden box, which now lay broken on the ground, thrown at the wall._

_From the building on Maria's left came out the blonde girl. She run to the other girls side, the skirt of her red dress flaring around her feet._

_Maria suddenly found herself right beside them. The blonde girl's face was half hidden by the shadows while the moon shined brightly atop the other's face. The blonde was holding the other's hands._

"_Please, Angie, calm down. This is not you. This is not you at all." The blonde said, voice pleading and cracking up by tears unshed._

_Angie stared at the blonde, face an emotionless mask. Her eyes, cold ember orbs shining with a mystical spark under the cold moonlight, were burning with anger._

"_Please, dear sister, stop it. It is getting annoying all this sympathy and love you are showing."_

_Maria flinched at the cold and sharp tone of the girl's voice._

"_Angie, can we talk about this?! We can find a solution to this. We always do." The blonde said._

_The laugh that escaped Angie's mouth sent shivers down Maria's back. It sounded so hallow and empty._

"_The situation is quit simple, dear sister of mine. You were, are and always will be the best one of us. I will never be good enough." Angie said and her eyes were filled with sadness and sorrow. She turned around and left. The blonde called after her but the scene melted once more and Maria didn't see anything else._

_This time, the black haired girl stood in front of her. Her eyes were filled with despair. "Please help me. Please save my soul." She said and Maria realized in shock she was talking to her. She had thought they couldn't see her. Angie continued._

"_You need to use the powers of the Moon Princess. You need to…"_

_The girl disappeared and the Moon Princess appeared in front of her, an urgent look on her face. "This is dangerous. You should….." _

_But suddenly the Moon Princess was consumed by the shadows which came to life. Maria screamed terrified as the shadows came rushing towards her….._

With a piercing scream, Maria jumped up, wide awake, soaked in sweat. Cecilia was woken up by her friend's scream. "Wha-what is going on?!" She asked still half asleep rubbing her face with her hands. Maria looked at her friend, breath uneven, still shaken up by her dream.

"Nothing, Cecilia. It was just a bad dream. It's nothing to worry about, go back to sleep." Maria said, trying to sound as calm as possible. Cecilia was only half awake so she didn't notice her friend's distress. She nodded once, her eyes already closed and she fell back to sleep.

Maria, on the other hand, stood up on her feet, wide awake. She walked barefoot and reached her bedroom's window. With a long sigh, she rested her forehead against the glass's surface.

It will be a long night…..

**Something small before the real action. Did anyone figure out what is going on?! Please make guesses in your reviews! And that was a very discreet way of pleading for reviews…..Not that I am pleading for reviews…..Just, please review!**


End file.
